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116-288045-0000 AS I APPROACHED THE CITY I HEARD BELLS RINGING AND A LITTLE LATER I FOUND THE STREETS ASTIR WITH THRONGS OF WELL DRESSED PEOPLE IN FAMILY GROUPS WENDING THEIR WAY HITHER AND THITHER |
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116-288045-0001 LOOKING ABOUT ME I SAW A GENTLEMAN IN A NEAT BLACK DRESS SMILING AND HIS HAND EXTENDED TO ME WITH GREAT CORDIALITY |
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116-288045-0002 HE MUST HAVE REALIZED I WAS A STRANGER AND WISHED TO TENDER HIS HOSPITALITY TO ME I ACCEPTED IT GRATEFULLY I CLASPED HIS HAND HE PRESSED MINE |
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116-288045-0003 WE GAZED FOR A MOMENT SILENTLY INTO EACH OTHER'S EYES |
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116-288045-0004 OF COURSE YOU ARE GOING THERE TOO I SAID TO MY FRIENDLY GUIDE |
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116-288045-0005 YES HE ANSWERED I CONDUCT THE WORSHIP I AM A PRIEST |
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116-288045-0006 AN IDOL I WHISPERED TAKEN BY SURPRISE |
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116-288045-0007 THEY WORSHIPPED GODS THAT DID NOT EXIST |
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116-288045-0008 BUT THE GREEKS LOVED THEIR GODS I PROTESTED MY HEART CLAMORING IN MY BREAST |
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116-288045-0009 NO I SAID IN A LOW VOICE |
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116-288045-0010 HE WAS AN IDOL THEN AND NOT A GOD |
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116-288045-0011 IT MADE ATHENS A CITY OF LIGHT IT CREATED THE BEAUTIFUL THE TRUE THE GOOD YES OUR RELIGION WAS DIVINE |
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116-288045-0012 IT HAD ONLY ONE FAULT INTERRUPTED MY GUIDE WHAT WAS THAT |
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116-288045-0013 I INQUIRED WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT HIS ANSWER WOULD BE IT WAS NOT TRUE |
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116-288045-0014 PRODUCE HIM |
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116-288045-0015 I WHISPERED TO MYSELF WHAT BLASPHEMY |
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116-288045-0016 THEN TAKING HEART I TOLD MY GUIDE HOW MORE THAN ONCE I HAD FELT APOLLO'S RADIANT PRESENCE IN MY HEART AND TOLD HIM OF THE IMMORTAL LINES OF HOMER CONCERNING THE DIVINE APOLLO |
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116-288045-0017 DO YOU DOUBT HOMER |
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116-288045-0018 I SAID TO HIM HOMER THE INSPIRED BARD |
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116-288045-0019 NO NO APOLLO IS NOT AN IDOL |
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116-288045-0020 HE IS A GOD AND THE SON OF A GOD |
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116-288045-0021 THE AIR WAS HEAVY WITH INCENSE A NUMBER OF MEN IN GORGEOUS VESTMENTS WERE PASSING TO AND FRO BOWING AND KNEELING BEFORE THE VARIOUS LIGHTS AND IMAGES |
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116-288045-0022 OBSERVING MY ANXIETY TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF ALL THIS MY GUIDE TOOK ME ASIDE AND IN A WHISPER TOLD ME THAT THE PEOPLE WERE CELEBRATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTHDAY OF THEIR BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR JESUS THE SON OF GOD |
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116-288045-0023 FORGET APOLLO HE SAID WITH A SUGGESTION OF SEVERITY IN HIS VOICE |
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116-288045-0024 THERE IS NO SUCH PERSON HE WAS ONLY AN IDOL |
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116-288045-0025 IF YOU WERE TO SEARCH FOR APOLLO IN ALL THE UNIVERSE YOU WOULD NEVER FIND ANY ONE ANSWERING TO HIS NAME OR DESCRIPTION |
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116-288045-0026 I WANT TO SEE JESUS I HASTENED TURNING TOWARD HIM |
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116-288045-0027 WILL HE NOT BE HERE THIS MORNING |
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116-288045-0028 WILL HE NOT SPEAK TO HIS WORSHIPPERS I ASKED AGAIN |
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116-288045-0029 WILL HE NOT PERMIT THEM TO TOUCH HIM TO CARESS HIS HAND TO CLASP HIS DIVINE FEET TO INHALE THE AMBROSIAL FRAGRANCE OF HIS BREATH TO BASK IN THE GOLDEN LIGHT OF HIS EYES TO HEAR THE MUSIC OF HIS IMMACULATE ACCENTS |
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116-288045-0030 I ASKED MY EYES FILLED WITH WONDER AND MY VOICE QUIVERING WITH EXCITEMENT |
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116-288045-0031 WOULD NOT THAT THEN I VENTURED TO ASK IMPATIENTLY MAKE JESUS AS MUCH OF AN IDOL AS APOLLO |
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116-288045-0032 AND IF FAITH THAT JESUS IS A GOD PROVES HIM A GOD WHY WILL NOT FAITH IN APOLLO MAKE HIM A GOD |
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